


not the end of the world (the beginning of ours)

by sobsicles



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Alec Lightwood Being a Gay Disaster, Almost Kiss, Fluff, M/M, Magnus is having a great time, Meet-Cute, Roommates, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-07
Updated: 2020-08-07
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:07:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25770331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sobsicles/pseuds/sobsicles
Summary: The universe seems to seems to want Alec and Magnus to kiss upon meeting, and it isn't long before they want the same thing.Or, the one where Magnus is Alec's new roommate, and they're definitely falling in love.
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Comments: 34
Kudos: 267
Collections: Hunter's Moon Creation Exchange





	not the end of the world (the beginning of ours)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [foxymoley](https://archiveofourown.org/users/foxymoley/gifts).



> This is a gift exchange for a server I'm apart of (kind of like Secret Sanda for fandom), and i got the lovely foxymoley! When I saw what they enjoyed as far as tropes, I was so excited to write for them. 
> 
> Foxy, I hope you enjoy this and that it is something you'll like. Hope it makes your day a little bit brighter, because it certainly made mine to write it. 
> 
> With that being said, enjoy ❤

* * *

**1**

For a while there, admittedly, Alec thought it was the end of the world. Boom, life officially over. Everyone else could go home, the curtain had finally closed, and that was it. 

"You can't just  _ leave,"  _ Alec had said, staring in disbelief at his best friend and adopted brother. 

Jace had sighed, even as he continued to pack his bag, like Alec's  _ 'this-is-the-worst-thing-ever'  _ expression didn't hold that much weight. "Alec, you know I love you, man, but I can't pass up this opportunity. It's just for convenience, that's all. I'm literally less than an hour away, and I'll be back in three months." 

"Can't you be an intern from  _ here?"  _

"I could, but it would be a lot harder, plus Clary worked pretty hard to convince Luke to let me in the position. One of his stipulations was that I stay with Simon and help pay his rent while I'm interning." 

"That's entrapment," Alec had declared. 

"Coercion, actually," Jace said in return, looking too delighted by that. 

"You don't even like Simon." 

"No,  _ you  _ don't like Simon." 

"What about Raphael?" Alec had challenged, borderline desperate at that point. 

"Raphael likes Simon even less than you do." 

"He's Simon's boyfriend!" 

Jace had grinned. "I know. Cute, right? They're  _ adorable.  _ Anyway, don't bring them into this. You're going to be  _ fine.  _ Izzy is already replacing me with your new roommate, so it's okay. She has good taste, so you'll probably like him." 

"I don't  _ want  _ a replacement," Alec snapped. 

"Alec," Jace had said, "it'll be fine." 

While Alec didn't actually agree with that, he didn't exactly get a say in the matter. Jace was gone the very next day, winking at Alec as he left. Alec had very pointedly showed his displeasure through the middle finger, but Jace had just shot him one back and mouthed,  _ Love you, too.  _

So, in the end, Alec learned two very important things. One, Jace was an asshole—he'd always known that one, but it was reaffirmed anyway. Two, Alec was not at all prepared for a stranger as a roommate—also a known fact, but that would be reaffirmed in due time. 

Enter Magnus Bane. 

God,  _ Magnus Bane.  _ Where to start with that one? For one, Alec wanted to flip tables when Izzy first showed him the picture of his new roommate. He'd snatched her phone and nearly had a damn heart attack. He thought living with Jace was bad in the  _ 'oh no, he walks around shirtless'  _ kind of way, but this Magnus was definitely worse because one picture assured Alec that he wouldn't have to be shirtless to send all of Alec's neurons firing at once. 

Who just—just looked  _ like that,  _ all the time? Alec's hands had shook when he passed the phone back to a bemused Izzy. In retrospect, he shouldn't have allowed her to pick in the first place. 

The first time they met, it was a disaster. 

Alec was trying to be prepared because Izzy had called him the night before to say, "Oh, I forgot to tell you, Magnus is coming by in the morning to drop off his first round of luggage." 

He didn't sleep much after that, which only ensured that he was grumpy as hell when he woke the next morning. To add to that general hatred for the world and the quivering nerves in his stomach, he had to get up two hours early to clean up his already tidy apartment. The fact that it was already neat meant that he paced for two hours and drank too much coffee with no cream or sugar because Jace had taken that with him when he left, the asshole. Overall, Alec was in a pretty shitty mood by the time there was a knock at the door. 

He had  _ hoped  _ that his first meeting with his new, unfairly attractive roommate would go smoothly. Maybe they'd get along fine. Or, even better, maybe Magnus was the type to stick to his own space and let people do their own thing. That was the best outcome Alec could think of. 

Instead, it went a little something like this: 

Alec opened the door, trying to wipe the scowl from his face as he said, "Hi, I'm—" 

Of course, he didn't get much farther than that because his boot hooked on the door as he stepped forward, and then what do you know? He was falling like everything in the universe was meant to ruin his life. Not only that, but he fell right  _ into  _ Magnus, as if the universe was also laughing uproariously while it ruined him. 

To say that they went down in a tangle of limbs was very much an understatement. Magnus' forehead bounced off Alec's, there were elbows in sides, and a couple of knees landed into thighs. It was all very painful, actually. 

The most painful thing, however, was when Alec automatically lifted his head and tried to get his bearings, only to realize that his nose was brushing Magnus' and they were breathing the same air. They blinked at each other. 

"Well, hello," Magnus said, exhaling softly. 

"Um," said Alec. 

Magnus' lips curled up. "Alexander, yes?" 

"Yes. I mean, Alec. It's—I'm Alec." 

"Not that I'm complaining too terribly, Alec, but this whole  _ 'nearly kissing'  _ business would be much nicer without your elbow poking into my side. Perhaps we could stand and try it from that angle, if you like?" 

"Uh, sure. Wait, no. What?" Alec made a stunned noise in the back of his throat and promptly scrambled off of Magnus as quickly as possible. "Oh god, I'm so sorry. I—I didn't mean to—" 

"Oh, it's fine," Magnus said easily, standing up and smoothing the wrinkles from his clothes like magic. He smiled up at Alec. "More than fine, actually. I quite enjoyed it." 

Alec cleared his throat. "Right. Sorry, again. I'm not usually so clumsy." 

"No apology needed, my dear." Magnus winked at him and waved a hand lazily. "I'm used to people falling for me. You're not the first." 

_ Yeah, that tracks,  _ Alec though miserably, but he said no such thing. Instead, he cleared his throat again and muttered, "Do you need help with your bags? Izzy said you're dropping off your first?" 

"No, no, it's my first  _ set  _ of bags," Magnus corrected. "You're more than welcome to help, though. Thank you." 

Alec blinked as Magnus turned out in the hallway and lifted up two large suitcases covered in rhinestones and some kind of shiny material that glinted purple in the light. Magnus seemed to float in the room, brushing past Alec as if he owned the place. Alec warily poked his head out to find four more large suitcases waiting. 

"Wait, your first  _ set?"  _ Alec asked weakly. 

Magnus glanced over his shoulder, an eyebrow cocking. There was a glint of amusement in his hazel eyes. "Yes, my first set. I have three more." 

"Three more suitcases?" 

"Three more  _ sets  _ of suitcases, darling." 

"Oh," Alec said softly. 

If this wasn't the end of the world, Alec didn't really know what qualified. Jace was an asshole, Izzy was too keen on helping the universe ruin him, and Magnus smelled as good as a man you'd expect to carry around four different sets of suitcases. In other words, Alec was screwed. 

  
  


* * *

**2**

Living with Alec was  _ delightful.  _

Personally, Magnus was having a grand time. For one, Alec was very nice to look at. More than, actually. Almost addictively delicious, to say the least, and Magnus was nothing if not observant. He observed. Frequently. 

Alec was tall and handsome, complete with dark hair that stuck it to the man and did what it wanted, plus he had the same types of tattoos as Izzy did, which was just a bonus. Magnus' fingers often itched with the urge to trace them, but he refrained with his minimal restraint. 

The  _ only  _ reason he refrained was because Alec was…well, he was adorably easy to fluster. As surly as he could be, he was also quick to change into a walking disaster the moment Magnus tossed an innuendo his way. It was cute. Not only was it cute, it was _ fun. _ However, Magnus didn't tend to push boundaries, and Alec seemed to have quite a few. 

"Magnus," Alec called from the bathroom. 

"Alexander," Magnus called back, his lips curling up. 

Alec made a vaguely disgruntled noise. "You left eyeshadow all over the sink again!" 

Ah, there was one of those boundaries. Alec liked things  _ tidy,  _ which was also cute in a strange way. Magnus had an odd way to organize things, and he didn't usually find anything entertaining about people so uptight that they couldn't allow things to be artfully dirty. What was a bathroom without some eyeshadow smudges after all? 

However, on Alec, it  _ was  _ endearing. Magnus kind of enjoyed the way Alec would get a little huffy about it. He was never rude, no, god forbid. Perhaps he wanted to be, but he never was, and perhaps Magnus enjoyed pushing his buttons  _ just  _ a bit. He would stop doing that, except he got the feeling that Alec liked having things to fuss about. 

"Did I?" Magnus asked, standing up and exiting his room to step up to the bathroom adjacent to their neighboring rooms. As soon as Alec saw him, he was gesturing to the eyeshadow on the sink with an unimpressed look on his face. "Oh, my mistake. Would you like me to clean it up?" 

"Please," Alec said flatly. 

Magnus smiled at him. "Not a problem. Scoot." 

"Not—I didn't mean  _ now,  _ Magnus." 

"No time like the present, darling." 

Alec muttered unintelligible things under his breath, even as he made a little room in front of the mirror. Magnus calmly started wiping away the smudges as Alec reached up to grab the mirror, popping it open to reveal the built-in cabinet. Almost immediately, three different containers of eyeshadow fell out with a clatter. They didn't open, thankfully, but Alec still looked down at the pile with a stricken expression. 

"You've been here for  _ two weeks,"  _ Alec whispered, slowly looking over at Magnus with wide eyes. 

Magnus chuckled. "Yes, and you've got me for ten more." 

"By the time those are up, there will be makeup and accessories in every room in this apartment."

"There already is." 

"What?" Alec's eyes bulged. "You're joking, right?"

"I'm not. I'm fairly sure I've lost my mascara in your room, but don't worry, I'll come across it eventually." 

"My—Magnus! What were you doing in my room?"

"Perusing," said Magnus, blinking innocently. 

Alec heaved a sigh. "No perusing my stuff. We agreed not to go in each other's rooms." 

"Don't be boring, darling. How can we have a sordid love affair if I'm not allowed to sneak into your room at my leisure? Besides, I  _ had  _ to see your closet, and let me tell you, it's abysmal. Are you sure you don't want to borrow something from me?" 

"I'm sure."

"Well, you're welcome to come into my room whenever you like," Magnus teased, winking at him. 

Alec blushed profusely, though Magnus had to commend him for keeping a flat expression throughout. He sighed again, as he was wont to do, and he said, "I'll wait for an  _ appropriate  _ invitation because I'm normal." 

"You're far from it." 

"Uh huh. Sure. Anyway, I'll be going now." 

"Of course," Magnus said, amused. He was fairly sure that Alec was making a quick escape because of the blush he couldn't get rid of, but Magnus was polite enough not to mention it. 

The bathroom was small, all things considered. It was a fact Magnus had cursed inside the confines of his own mind multiple times, but he would be resending all critiques immediately. Just for the simple fact that Alec had to shuffle awkwardly towards the door by turning his back to the mirror and side-stepping, his chest brushing Magnus' as he tried to slide by. 

Magnus was shorter than Alec, so he got a close up of the bob of Alec's Adam's apple as he moved past him. He didn't get very far, however. Alec's head rammed into the open mirror, making him duck with a short curse. Magnus had his head tilted back, a thing that now put them nose-to-nose. Magnus was hyper-aware of the fact that he could move forward just an inch and know what Alec's lips felt like against his own. 

Time seemed to pause for a moment. 

"Ow," Alec whispered, sounding breathless and very far from hurt, the word seeming like an afterthought. 

Magnus could feel his stomach flip-flopping with something like excitement and hope. "I do so love when we meet like this, Alexander." 

"Sorry," Alec choked out, wrenching away to just knock his head into the swinging mirror yet again.

"Don't apologize. It suggests regret, and I  _ really  _ hope you don't feel anything as boring as that. Also, you'll get a serious head injury if you don't stop doing that." 

"Sorry," Alec said again, sounding mortified. His blush was likely permanent. "I'm gonna—just, yeah, thank you." 

Magnus chuckled warmly as Alec eased him slightly to the side and moved to the door. He opened it, but paused to look back at Magnus with wide eyes. Magnus raised both eyebrows, waiting, his heart taking after his stomach and doing somersaults at the words that were perched on Alec's lips. He would very much like to hear them, if only Alec would  _ say  _ them. 

Instead, Alec coughed violently and ducked out the bathroom, rubbing the back of his head as he went. Magnus sighed softly, his lips curling up as he slowly went back to cleaning the eyeshadow smudges. 

Yes, living with Alec was delightful, indeed. 

  
  


* * *

**3**

"It's absolutely  _ terrible,"  _ Alec lamented, glaring down his nose at Jace, who was still the asshole who abandoned him. 

Jace didn't look perturbed. "Is it? Funny, I heard from Raphael, who heard from Simon, who heard from Izzy, who heard from  _ Magnus,  _ that you two are getting along great." 

"You talk to Raphael?" 

"We've bonded over our general disdain for Simon's stupid puns. I'm pretty sure that Raphael actually likes them, considering he's Simon's boyfriend and everything, but still." 

"Jace," Alec said, sounding pained, "he's throwing a  _ party.  _ A small party, sure, but a party nonetheless. And  _ somehow,  _ I'm out getting napkins for the party because that's all he said I can do. He told me like eighteen times to get the cloth napkins, which I did, but do you have any idea how weird it is that he's organizing a party in our apartment, and I'm not…" 

"Involved?" Jace prompted, amused. 

Alec wrinkled his nose.  _ "Annoyed.  _ You know how I feel about parties. Never cared for them, but I still want to—I don't know." He scrubbed a hand over his eyebrow in frustration. "It's just that Magnus  _ really  _ wanted to have this party, and I couldn't figure out how to say no. I mean, it's Christmas. That should be more than enough, but because  _ Magnus  _ wants the party to be perfect, I...I kind of want to help him however I can." 

"Alec," Jace said calmly, "just admit that you want to have sex with him, and you'll feel a lot better." 

"I hate you," Alec hissed with a grimace. "It's not—it isn't that, okay?" 

Jace arched an unimpressed eyebrow. 

"Okay, it isn't  _ just  _ that," Alec amended, feeling his cheeks heat up. "Yeah, maybe I want to sleep with my very,  _ very  _ attractive roommate—so attractive that it's quite literally unfair—but that doesn't explain...other stuff." 

"What other stuff?" 

"I already know what you're going to say, and you aren't going to be wrong, but I don't know if I'm ready to hear it or not." 

Jace frowned. "Well, I'll start making assumptions otherwise. What is it? Did you two hide a dead body together? Have you  _ already _ had sex? Are—" 

"Okay, stop," Alec blurted out. He shuffled in place, then sighed heavily. "So, it's these little things, right? Like he always has my coffee made for me in the morning without even saying anything to me, which is… If he wasn't already at work, I'd probably kiss him just for that. Also, he makes the coffee different than I do, and it tastes better than how I make it, but I don't want to admit that—eventually, I'll  _ have  _ to tell him because I'll miss the coffee when he goes, but I'm not really...thinking about it." 

"Alec," Jace said slowly. 

"No, no, wait," Alec continued, shaking his head a little vigorously. "He also does this thing where he'll push my coffee table just  _ a little  _ off center, and I'll have to push it back. We go back and forth because we wait for the other not to be around to fix it. And that's something I'd be annoyed about, right? I mean, you know me. That should get on my nerves,  _ at least,  _ but I...kind of like it." 

Jace cleared his throat. "Alec, man, you—" 

"Hold on, there's  _ more,"  _ Alec interrupted again, swallowing thickly. "He let me see him without any makeup, Jace. Did you know that  _ no one  _ has seen him without makeup before, even just the makeup that carries over the next day? But he let me see, and he's—well… Anyway, he has this habit of losing his makeup all over the apartment, so I made him this little box with all these small drawers so he can organize it all, which helps a lot. I mean, he still loses his makeup, but when I find it, I bring it back." 

"Ah," Jace said delicately, his eyebrows jumping up his forehead. "Alec…" 

"Wait, not yet," Alec muttered, wincing. "I don't want to hear it yet." 

"And  _ I  _ don't want to hear more about how you're falling in love with your roommate," Jace pressed on, his voice softening. "Besides, we're almost back to the apartment." 

Alec stared at him. "I'm not…" 

"Hey, man, it's okay," Jace murmured. "Magnus is a pretty great guy, and it's no secret that he likes you. Anyone with eyes can see that." 

"Yeah?" Alec asked. 

Jace nodded and grinned. "Dude, he pretty much undresses you with his eyes every time you're around. Plus, he seems overly fond of you." 

"Who are we talking about?" 

Alec nearly came out of his skin, jolting so hard in shock that he almost dropped the bags in his hands. He scrambled to catch them in time, knowing Magnus would likely be upset if he found out that all his cloth napkins had fallen on the concrete sidewalk outside. Once he got a handle on the bags, he turned around in sync with Jace to see Izzy and Clary standing with Simon and Raphael, all of them looking at him and Jace speculatively. 

"Magnus," Jace said easily, no sense of secrecy whatsoever. 

Alec groaned. 

"He  _ is  _ overly fond of you," Raphael said dryly, arching an eyebrow. "I've known Magnus for years, so I would know." 

"You've known him that long?" Alec asked in surprise, blinking. 

Raphael nodded. "We work together." 

"Magnus works in fashion." 

"Have you  _ seen  _ the suits Raphael wears?" Simon muttered, his eyebrows furrowing. 

Alec cleared his throat. "Fair point." 

"Hey!" 

They all tipped their heads back to see Magnus half-hanging out of the window from their apartment, looking down at them with an open frown. He waved down at them. 

"Hey!" Simon called back cheerfully, grinning and waving back. 

Magnus' sigh could be heard from all the way down below. "Come up, would you? I'm almost done, I just need the napkins." 

"Best not to keep him waiting," Raphael said with a knowing smirk in Alec's direction as Magnus disappeared back inside. 

Alec blushed heavily, even as he followed everyone inside. They all ambled on the elevator together, and Alec refused to acknowledge the warm spread of excitement in his chest. He saw Magnus  _ literally  _ an hour ago, he shouldn't be feeling so happy to see him all over again. They lived together, Jesus Christ! 

Izzy took the lead, as she was commonly known to do, and they all followed behind her to the door. Alec's door because it was  _ his  _ apartment, except he couldn't help but feel like it was Magnus' now, too. He'd only been here for a month and a half in total—a couple of days over that, actually—but his presence was...impactful. 

Before they could even get inside, Magnus wrenched open the door with a bright grin, a new streak of color in his hair today. He must have done it while Alec was out. Pink this time, and  _ god,  _ it looked really good. The rings on his fingers glittered as he waved a lazy hand, speaking to everyone, though Alec couldn't hear a word of what he was saying—way too distracted by his hands and face and...everything, honestly. 

Alec felt like he came back to himself when Magnus proceeded to kiss Izzy on the cheek and wave her inside, only to kiss Clary on the cheek, then Raphael and Simon. Jace was standing in front of Alec, chuckling as he leaned in and let Magnus kiss his cheek before heading inside, which left Alec standing there in bemusement. 

"Mistletoe," Magnus said casually, pointing up at the plant hanging in the doorway. He grinned when Alec shot him a flat look. "What, it's  _ festive."  _

"You'll take it down after the party, right?" Alec murmured, shifting awkwardly in the doorway. 

Magnus smiled at him, that heart-stoppingly beautiful smile that lit Alec up from the inside. "Yes, dear, I'll take it down. Now, won't you come in, Alexander?" 

"Uh. Um, sure. Yeah. I mean, yeah," Alec said, fumbling over his words as he gathered his wits about him. Just a kiss on the cheek, no big thing. His heart was  _ racing,  _ but it was fine. It was all fine. 

He stepped up in the doorway, pausing there, his tongue feeling stuck to the roof of his mouth. Magnus looked at him for a long moment, scanning his face, then he put his hand on Alec's shoulder to lean up. Alec felt like his heart stopped when Magnus' soft lips landed right next to his own—not quite the cheek, but most certainly not the lips either, just the corners of their mouths  _ barely  _ overlapping. 

Alec's mind immediately shut down and went silent while simultaneously flooding with questions. Did Magnus mean to do that, to get so close? Did he want Alec to turn his head and kiss him fully?  _ Could  _ Alec do that? What would happen if he did? Was Magnus aware that he was driving Alec absolutely insane in every single way, mostly the  _ best  _ way? 

Before Alec could do much of anything, Magnus pulled back just a smidge, both of them looking at each other with their breaths held. Alec felt like he was about to implode, his lungs screaming because he couldn't breathe. After a beat, Magnus blinked and smiled again, leaning back in to put his lips near Alec's ear. 

"Thank you for the napkins, darling," Magnus whispered, his hand slowly easing down Alec's arm to gently grab the bag that Alec had a death-grip on. 

"You're welcome," Alec rasped helplessly. 

Magnus chuckled throatily in his ear and kissed his cheek properly, a small peck just like everyone else got, then pulled away and drifted off to the kitchen. Alec stood in the doorway for a long time, his heart doing funny things in his chest. 

When he eventually made it into the living room, everyone took one look at him and seemed to draw their own conclusions. Jace laughed because he was an asshole, and Alec flipped him the bird, even with the blush lingering on his cheeks just the ways Magnus' lips had. 

  
  


* * *

**4**

"You're sick." 

Alec coughed and glared at him. "I don't  _ get  _ sick, Magnus. I'm fine." 

Magnus pursed his lips as he scanned Alec from head-to-toe. He didn't look bad, he just looked sick. His face was blotchy and he had the watery eyes that came from allergies, plus he sounded stuffy when he talked and his coughs rattled out of him. Magnus wanted to wrap him up in blankets and stop him from pushing on past it because Alec apparently had all plans to. He wanted to go to work despite the fact that he was  _ obviously  _ not feeling well. 

"My dear, you're clearly sick," Magnus said gently, reaching out to feel Alec's head. It was a touch too warm. "You're probably getting a fever. What you need is soup, medicine, and rest." 

Alec huffed. "I need to go to work." 

"Darling…" 

"Don't ' _ darling'  _ me, Magnus. I have to—" 

"Alec," Magnus said sternly, making Alec's mouth snap shut. He rarely called Alec by his nickname, not in such a stern voice no less, so it did the trick. "Give me your phone." 

"Why?" 

"Because I'm calling out of work for you. Now, stop talking. Your throat hurts, I can tell." 

"I—" 

"Ah, ah, stop talking. Phone?" 

Alec stared at him for a long moment, looking stubborn for a few beats, then he finally deflated and dug around under his cover to find his phone. Pulling his cell from his charger, Alec offered it to him with a scowl, no doubt annoyed that he wouldn't be able to work. Magnus smirked in triumph before leaving the room altogether. 

While Magnus flipped through Alec's contacts to get his boss' number, he moved around the apartment to get a glass of water and some medicine that would help. He shoved the cell between his ear and shoulder as he carried the pills back into Alec's room. 

"Maryse Lightwood speaking," came the calm, cool voice over the line. 

Magnus froze as he handed the medicine to Alec, who was looking a little smug. Magnus stared at him, and Alec stared back with a small smirk, and this was just  _ cruel.  _ No matter, Magnus pulled himself together and cleared his throat, slowly easing out of the room as Alec took his pills. 

"Hi, yes, I'm calling on the behalf of Alec—ah, Alexander Lightwood," Magnus said as calmly as possible, moving into the kitchen to start on soup. 

There was a beat of silence on the phone, then Maryse coolly asked, "And who is speaking on the behalf of my son?" 

"That would be Magnus Bane, Mrs. Lightwood," Magnus replied carefully. "I am Alexander's roommate, and I can attest to the fact that he doesn't feel well today. I don't actually think he'll be able to make it into work." 

"Oh, is that right?" Maryse made a small humming sound, which had Magnus biting his bottom lip in nerves. "Why didn't Alec tell me himself?" 

"Well, his throat is hurting. Honestly, Mrs. Lightwood, I think he would go to work if I'd let him, but he's clearly sick. He needs medication and rest, not to push himself harder." 

"You're forcing him to stay?" 

Magnus blinked rapidly. "What? No,  _ no,  _ I am not. I think it would be in his best interest to rest, but he could do that elsewhere if he so desired. I'd be more than willing to take him to you if you felt that he should be looked after under your care." 

"Alec is a grown man," Maryse said, sounding slightly amused. "He doesn't need his mother doting on him, sick or not, and I doubt he'd stand for it anyway. You're more than welcome to, though. He does push himself a bit too much, which is a good quality for someone who  _ isn't  _ sick. Thank you for informing me." 

"Right," Magnus breathed out, his shoulders sagging in relief. "I'll make sure he rests. It doesn't seem to be anything serious, so he should be fine to return to work tomorrow." 

"I'm glad to hear that," Maryse murmured. There was another pause. "Are you, by chance, Alec's boyfriend, Mr. Bane?" 

"Magnus, please." There was another pause as Magnus stirred the soup on the stove, willing it to finish quicker. Maryse waited patiently. "As it stands at the moment, Mrs. Lightwood, the answer to that is no. For the sake of honesty, I'll admit that I would like to change that in the future, though." 

"Ah," Maryse said. Another pause, longer this time, then she hummed again. "Call me Maryse, Magnus. Perhaps we'll get to know each other in the future if you do succeed in changing that." 

"Here's to hoping," Magnus muttered, distracted as he spooned soup into a bowl. He jolted in surprise when Maryse laughed softly through the phone. 

"I work with my son almost daily, Magnus. He seems...happier as of late, so perhaps your hopes hold merit," Maryse told him, definitely amused now. Her voice softened just a touch. "He speaks fondly of you, which is quite the feat. As I'm sure you know, my son is a complex man, so ease a mother's mind by promising to be kind to him." 

Magnus could feel his lips curling up as he carried the bowl towards Alec's room, hip-checking the door open. Alec was watching him with a small smirk still, openly amused to see him still on the phone. Magnus smirked back smugly, holding his gaze as he passed over the soup. 

"Oh, I intend to, Maryse," Magnus promised calmly, grinning when Alec's smirk fell and his lips parted in pure surprise. "I do hate to cut the conversation short because I've enjoyed talking with you, but your son requires some doting." 

Maryse chuckled. "I imagine he does. Thank you for calling me, and don't hesitate to contact me in the future if you wish." 

"I'll get your number from Alec." 

"That would be lovely. Again, thank you." 

"No problem," Magnus said easily. "Have a great day. Bye." 

When Magnus hung up the phone and tossed it on the bed, Alec stared at him incredulously. "Did you just—just  _ impress  _ my mother?" 

"I believe I did," Magnus mused. "Why? Is that so hard? Maryse seems like a lovely woman." 

"I—" Alec snapped his mouth shut, staring at him like he was a creature that Alec had never encountered before. "How did you do that?" 

"I'm a very likable person, darling," Magnus teased, sitting down on the bed beside him. He pushed the bowl closer to Alec. "Now, eat. The medicine should be kicking in soon, and you'll get very sleepy." 

Magnus wasn't wrong. Alec began eating in mystified silence, and Magnus enjoyed his comfortable company. It wasn't long before Alec's bites slowed and his eyes started to droop after every blink. He was nearly finished with the soup the first time he nodded off, so Magnus took the bowl and sat it on the nightstand, moving forward to ease Alec back on the pillows. 

"My mom likes you," Alec slurred, blinking up at him around a yawn. 

"So it would seem." 

"She doesn't like anyone but her own children." 

Magnus chuckled. "Yes, well, you don't like anyone besides your own friends, but you made an exception for me, didn't you?" 

"Well...yeah." Alec hummed, his lips ticking up at the corners. He reached out with fumbling fingers to grab Magnus' collar and pull him down with surprising strength, his eyes closed. "Thanks for looking after me. S'nice." 

"It's my pleasure, darling," Magnus breathed out, very aware that their faces were close together. He could sink down into Alec and kiss him. He  _ wanted  _ to. 

Alec leaned up and kissed his chin, just a soft press of his mouth, and Magnus' mind ran in circles wondering if Alec meant it to be his lips. After a beat, Alec's hand went slack at his collar and he sunk back down into the pillows, his breathing evening out. Magnus looked down at him for a long time, biting his lip. 

Shit. Oh, he was doing it again. Falling headfirst into something that wasn't a guarantee, no matter how much he wished it was. This time, though, he didn't really mind it. Falling in love with Alec was delightful, every step of the way, and Magnus couldn't bring himself to regret it. 

He smiled a little and leaned forward to kiss Alec on the forehead, then he left Alec to rest. 

  
  


* * *

**5**

Alec huffed a little as he flopped back down on his couch. Work today was a bit stressful, just because of the amount of work he had to do, plus his mother had once again asked how Magnus was doing. Apparently his mom genuinely did like Magnus, and now they texted each other. 

Alec had no idea how to feel about that. On one hand, he was glad that Magnus and his mom got along so well, but on the other hand, he was mortified to think about  _ why  _ he wanted them to get along in the first place. 

Whatever. Alec just wanted to turn on his TV and get lost in some mind-numbing shows for a bit. He reached for the remote, then froze when Magnus came barreling out of the hall with a gasp, his eyes wide. That would be enough to make Alec pause, but ultimately, it was the fact that Magnus was completely shirtless that made him stuck in place, his mouth suddenly dry. 

"Oh, darling, I'm so sorry," Magnus blurted out, actually looking a bit guilty. "I forgot to pay the cable bill. I've been meaning to, but I got distracted by my fashion show. You can't watch your shows after work today. The cable company has had me on hold for the past three hours." 

"Magnus," Alec said gently, "it's  _ fine.  _ No big deal. How did your fashion show go anyway? I wanted to be there, but with work…" 

Magnus seemed to relax, waving a hand with a small smile. "Oh, it's alright. I wasn't able to mingle with anyone. One of the models got sick, so I had to replace them. Clary did quite well on the runway, actually." 

"You got Clary in on it?" 

"I had to beg her, but yes. Izzy was already involved, as was Raphael, but Clary was resistant. She did marvelous, though." 

"That's good to hear," Alec murmured. He frowned slightly. "You didn't really think I'd be upset about the cable, did you?" 

Magnus pursed his lips. "Well, no, not really. I'm more upset with myself. I know you enjoy those crime documentaries after a hard day of work. They help you relax." 

"It's okay," Alec assured him. "I don't mind." 

"Oh!" Magnus' eyes lit up. "I have just the thing. There's an old VCR I've carted around since my childhood, and I have some disney movies on VHS.  _ Lion King _ or  _ The Little Mermaid?" _

_ "Hakuna Matata  _ just hits a little different when you're an adult, doesn't it?" Alec mused, pushing himself up from the couch as Magnus waved him up. 

Magnus shot him a fond look over his shoulder as he started down the hall, something dreamy and delighted on his face. All he said was, "Marry me." 

Alec had to literally clench his teeth together to hold back the reflexive  _ okay  _ that wanted to free itself from his lips. It was just a joke. A  _ joke.  _

Entering Magnus' room always made Alec a little flustered, though he was good at hiding it at this point. They were well on into their third month of living together, and Jace was nearly done with his internship. Simon had been constantly texting him to ask if he could keep Jace as a roommate, and Alec continued to refrain from replying in fear of agreeing. Over the past few weeks, ever since Magnus had made him stay home because he was sick, they'd been in and out of each other's rooms, just popping in every now and again to hang out or have a conversation. 

Still, Alec was always hyper-aware that he was in Magnus' room, sitting on his bed. It was...thrilling. 

As Magnus dug around in his closet, Alec went and sat on his bed, leaning back on the pillows. The sheets were silk, because  _ of course  _ they were, and he couldn't help but picture some things happening amongst the sheets. For all his restraint, his mind had very little when it came to Magnus. He actually liked it. 

"Hey," Alec murmured, forcing himself to stop picturing the things he could get up to in Magnus' bed  _ with  _ Magnus. He cleared his throat and watched Magnus set the VCR up on his TV instead. "We're watching it in here?" 

Magnus hummed. "If you don't mind." 

"That's fine," Alec said weakly. 

After rewinding the tape, Magnus came over to the other side of the bed and plopped down with a sigh. His lips curled up when the movie started. Alec forced himself to pay attention, very aware of the fact that they were side-by-side, shoulder-to-shoulder. 

Eventually, though, the movie actually managed to grab his focus, not that he'd never seen it before, but it  _ was  _ a classic. He got wrapped up in it, only breaking focus about an hour into it when he felt hair tickle his neck and weight settle on his shoulder. Blinking, he looked down in surprise to see Magnus sleeping, seemingly content with using Alec as his personal pillow. 

Alec was perfectly fine with that. His stomach erupted into butterflies and he felt something soft and tender curl in his chest, but it was fine. More than fine, actually. 

Admittedly, he got comfortable. Too comfortable. He couldn't help it. Magnus was warm and solid, and the work day had drained him, so he just  _ relaxed.  _ Not really because of the movie, but because of Magnus, which was very telling. He was trying to pay attention to the movie, but in between one blink and the next, he was asleep. 

He didn't remember falling asleep, or dreaming, but he remembered waking up. He wasn't likely to ever forget. Just for the sole reason that he and Magnus had apparently drawn close together in their sleep, close enough to  _ cuddle.  _

Alec woke up to his nose mashed up against Magnus' throat, their arms wrapped around each other and their legs tangled. Ringed fingers were calmly dragging through his hair, and it was so nice that he never wanted it to stop. Once he woke up, though, and he registered what position they were in, he stiffened. 

"Oh, he wakes," Magnus teased in a raspy, sleepy voice that was practically criminal. 

Alec closed his eyes in mortification. "Oh god, Magnus, I'm so—" 

"Don't apologize," Magnus cut in quickly, clearing his throat. He lowered his voice. "I quite like you here, actually. You're very warm, did you know?" 

"So are you," Alec mumbled, incapable of keeping himself from pressing a little closer. 

Magnus hummed in a pleased fashion. "You remind me of home. Back when I was a boy, I lived in Jakarta, Indonesia, and we didn't have air conditioning. I would wake up sometimes during the summer feeling like the sun was beating right down on me. I loved it. People always said that I reminded them of a cat because of that." He paused, chuckling. "I should get a cat." 

"I didn't agree to cats," Alec said quietly, trying to inhale as inconspicuously as possible, breathing in Sandalwood and something that was inherently  _ Magnus.  _ It made his mind a little fuzzy. 

Magnus clicked his tongue. "I won't be here forever, darling." 

That smacked Alec back to reality. He blinked rapidly, suddenly realizing that he was just laying in bed with Magnus,  _ cuddling  _ him. He cleared his throat and slowly pulled back, meaning to roll away and out of the bed, but the intensity of Magnus' gaze had him halting. They stared at each other in silence, their faces so close together that Alec would barely have to move to kiss him. And he really,  _ really  _ wanted to. 

_ I won't be here forever, darling.  _

Right. Magnus was due to go stay with Catarina in two weeks time, and Alec didn't want to complicate things for either of them. He had the feeling that he was going to miss Magnus no matter what, and he didn't want to add to that by kissing him. 

"I'm gonna go," Alec whispered, his voice hoarse. 

Magnus smiled softly. "Of course, my dear. Pull out something for me to cook, won't you? We should have dinner." 

"Yeah, okay," Alec agreed. 

He started to pull away, but Magnus tightened his arms around him, looking fond and mischievous all at once. He darted forward quickly to kiss Alec on the nose, an affectionate gesture that made Alec blush hard. 

Alec coughed loudly and rolled away in record time, looking at Magnus with wide eyes. Magnus just winked at him, and Alec turned to bolt from the room. Magnus' soft laughter followed him out.

God, Alec was going to miss him. 

  
  


* * *

**+1**

Magnus stared at his last suitcase. So did Alec. They were just standing there in the living room, staring at Magnus' numerous suitcases and not saying a word. Magnus cleared his throat. 

"So," he said, "you'll likely find some makeup in various places. If you do, just… Well, I suppose I'll replace it. Keep it, or give it to Izzy, or throw it away, if you wish." 

Alec frowned. "I'll still find stuff that's yours?" 

"I hope you don't mind." 

"I do, actually." 

"Why?" Magnus looked at him with a frown of his own. This whole  _ 'leaving' _ thing had been a trying affair from beginning to end. 

"I don't…" Alec trailed off, then looked away. His throat bobbed. "It's fine, Magnus." 

They stood in more silence, looking at the suitcases. Magnus had them for years and used them often for his job. They were eye-catching, no doubt about it, but they certainly didn't deserve the scrutiny they were getting from the both of them. It was easier to look at the suitcases, though, rather than each other. 

"I hope I wasn't too terrible of a roommate," Magnus finally said. 

Alec shot him a rueful smile. "You were the worst. Makeup everywhere, moving my coffee table all the time, barging into my room whenever you wanted. I don't recommend." 

"No?" Magnus' lips twitched in fondness, easily picking up on Alec's teasing tone. "I don't suppose you will find another roommate who makes coffee for you every morning, better than the way you make it, might I add." 

"Probably not," Alec agreed, his smile falling. 

Magnus paused, licking his lips, then he whispered, "I'll miss you." 

Alec shut his eyes. "Yeah," he croaked, "I'll, um, I'll miss you too, Magnus." 

More silence. More staring at suitcases. Magnus shifted restlessly, knowing he was putting off the inevitable. Alec fiddled with his shirt-sleeve, a furrow in his brow. 

"Well," Magnus said eventually, releasing a heavy sigh, "I suppose I'll go." 

Alec nodded mutely. Magnus heaved another sigh, then moved past Alec to grab a suitcase, pausing for a moment to look around. Strangely, the place had become home in the last three months, though he suspected that had to do with the man standing behind him. Perhaps they could date, or keep in touch, or  _ something.  _ Magnus certainly wanted to. Well, he wanted to stay, but that was besides the point. 

Settled, Magnus turned towards Alec with the question of if they could be something more perched on his tongue, but it died when he caught the way Alec was looking at him. There was something in his eyes, a spark of determination, a little bit of resolve. It had Magnus swallowing the words in a heartbeat. 

Then, like a man on a mission, without any accidents or mistletoes or anything else, Alec marched forward and grabbed him by the lapels to drag him into a kiss. 

Magnus dropped his suitcase. 

It was perfect. It was everything Magnus had been aching for from the moment he laid eyes on Alec. Their lips met and caught, heads tilting to deepen the contact quickly. Magnus inhaled sharply at the mere shock of excitement and relief that charged through him, and he reached up to wind his arms around Alec's shoulders, pulling him in closer. Alec hummed in approval, wrapping his arms around Magnus' waist to press them flush together. 

Alec kissed him softly, then deeply, then he made a small sound in the back of his throat that could only be described as pure  _ want.  _ Magnus carded his fingers through Alec's hair, pulling back minutely to try and gather some semblance of himself, but Alec made another weak noise and chased his lips. Magnus was perfectly fine with that. He kissed Alec back, soft and slow, heady and intense, careful and cherished. 

It was, without a doubt, the best kiss Magnus had ever had in his entire life. 

It also happened to be the kiss he'd been yearning for this entire time, and by the way he wasn't eager to let go, Alec seemed to be in the same boat. So, for a long time, they kissed each other, right up until breathing became an issue. Even then, however, they continued on with a series of short pecks that eventually tapered off into warm smiles. It made Magnus' heart pulse fondly. 

"Don't go," Alec murmured, leaning his forehead against Magnus'. "Stay." 

"What about Jace?" Magnus mused. 

Alec snorted. "What about him? I want you. Not living with him won't be the end of the world." 

"I thought I was a terrible roommate." 

"You are." 

"I thought you wouldn't recommend me," Magnus said in amusement, running his nose along Alec's, lips curling when Alec chuckled. 

"Oh, I wouldn't. I'd rather you stay with me," Alec told him quietly. 

Magnus hummed. "I've already packed." 

"Unpack." 

"That's a lot of suitcases, you know." 

Alec pulled back to smile at him, his eyes warm and fond. "I know. I'll help you, if you want." 

"If you help, we won't get around to unpacking for a while," Magnus admitted, dragging his hand down Alec's chest. 

Alec's smile turned to a grin. "In that case, I  _ insist  _ on helping. If you're staying."

"Well," Magnus murmured, "who else is going to make your coffee the way you like it? Besides, I have makeup here somewhere, and it would be terribly remiss of me to leave it, darling." 

"I fixed the coffee table." 

"I'll move it later." 

"Good," Alec murmured, leaning back in to kiss him again. 

Magnus hummed and melted into it, barely even noticing that Alec was walking them back towards the hall. He went with it, nearly stumbling, but Alec was gracefully keeping them from falling. When he realized what was happening, he pulled from the kiss with a small gasp, blinking rapidly. 

"What about the suitcases?" 

"Leave them. We'll unpack later." 

Eventually, they would. For now, though, they grinned at each other before kissing again. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you all so much for reading. I hope you all enjoyed it. If you did, don't hesitate to drop off some kudos and leave a comment; I adore every single one! 
> 
> Ta! 
> 
> -SOBS


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